This morning when Roy and I discussed, oh let's say Joseph cause that is where I am in teaching, I asked him what the normal SS lesson would be from these passages. His response, learning to lay things down for the Lord. Well, yes, if you have been a life long Sunday School attender this would be a theme one would be well acquainted with. My counter was, I think what we need to teach and learn is, something meaningful, coat, was taken by Joseph's brothers, he was sold into slavery and he began life as a slave in a military man's house. Never once do we see Joseph vow revenge to make his way back to Tara I mean Canaan to take back what is rightfully his and then destroy his brothers! He had their example from how they rid the land of Shechem of all the men and boys, then taking the women and children as well as possessions into their own household. They did that in response to their sister being raped... Joseph could have said if and when he made his way back, I will do to you what you did to others and me. Now, I don't know but, this theme would be a men's retreat theme cause they are all so h3// bent on being manly men, fighting men. But Joseph lets men's retreat planners without a theme that they like. Joseph kept looking forward, he knew God was with him and he set his actions and best in the present. So, he became the best menial task servant possible in Potiphar's house. We don't read that on breaks Joseph regaled his friends of talk about a stolen coat and the sweet, sweet revenge he will be taking one day.
I have several friends who grew up in military houses. Their father, at this time of life of military leaders, were career officers. The stories they told ran the gamut of the best childhood ever to we grew up as soldiers. If the home is being run by military procedures you can be noticed for your excellent grasp of them or you are horribly slovenly, thus spending a great deal of time doing KP. Working at Potiphar's was probably very hard, but yet God is with Joseph and Mr P notices how well Joseph works. So promotion time to personal assistant. I was a personal assistant to a very wealthy widow. I knew a lot about when and where money went and how much she was worth. I remember one thing she always asked, please tell me when my checking account goes below $30,000. I just don't feel good unless there is $30,000 in the balance. I would agree but my goes below number was $30.00. She had a home in Jackson Hole, WY where she spent most of her summers. One year she fell and broke her hip. She called and asked me to go to the house, I had a key, and get several items out of her underwear drawer. She wanted clothing that she used when she had broken her other hip. I felt so uncomfortable rummaging around her underwear drawer to send the items by Fed Ex overnight. When I called her back to confirm the package was on its way, I told her how weird I felt going into her bedroom and going through her underwear drawer. She put me off and said oh good grief Nancy. You know everything about my financial situation, going through my underwear shouldn't even embarrass you. This story just to show how much you know about your employer's life when you are truly a hands on, in the home personal assistant. Soon Joseph was over everything, home, property, crops and flocks. Mr P only had to worry about what he was going to eat or maybe menu choose what he was going to eat. We do not read that Joseph tells anyone he is working so hard in order to return to his family and take care of a family matter, oh and get some clothes to bring back to the job.
We don't know how soon Mrs. P was sneaking peeks at Joseph because we are told that Joe was very handsome and well built. I played tennis with a woman who had the best ever, good looking husband. Several times Roy and I went out to eat with them. When they came into the restaurant, the place would almost come to a stop cause they were two very beautiful and good looking people. Then the place saw Roy and me and everything returned to the normal chaos of serving food. I was always happy that the hubby talked so much cause I didn't have to sneak peeks of him. I hung on his every word. Is it hot in here? Oops, I digress. Anyway Mrs. P lets Joe know she is available any time, any place or whatever. She gets bold and says, come, on sleep with me. Verse 8 says Joseph refuses and then begins avoiding her at all costs. Basically, Joseph we are told, refused, avoided and finally had to run. Being the fine, fine woman that she is Mrs. P calls out to the servants, men, who she has sent away to come and see what that Hebrew that her husband brought home has attempted. It just seems like these guys would have known what was going on and maybe knew someone who had the same experience with her. She is blaming this on Mr. P since he brought Joseph into the home. This seems like a weak attempt at having an alibi. Since I have seen and read several mysteries and cop shows, it seems to me that when someone comes to violate a person, usually the attempter tries to get the attemptees clothes off before disrobing. So, she has his cloak. She told the servant men one thing but says to her husband, Joseph tried to fool around with me. Most of the commentaries I have read think that Mr. P was upset because he was going to have to take over all those responsibilities he had given Joseph. This was a death sentence offence, but Mr. P had Joseph thrown in prison to save face.
Mrs. P has betrayed her husband using the cloak meanwhile betraying Joseph by telling a story about his cloak. There is a whole lot of betrayal going on. She is betraying herself.
Joseph is thrown into prison. Once again we are told that the Lord is with him. Joseph excels in being a model prisoner. He moves up in the ranks and trust of the warden. Because the Lord is with him, his service makes the warden's life a bit easier. We also meet the baker and butler in prison, thrown there by Pharoah himself. They have dreams and Joseph interprets them. Thus they come to pass and although he asked to be remembered by the butler, he totally forgets him until Pharoah has dreams. Then the butler remembers. I'll stop here and say, although we don't hear from Joseph too much while he is in prison, we don't hear him saying, now I have vengeance concerns for my brothers and the butler. No, Joseph continues to serve, with forward looking eyes and presence. He is not wasting energy on the past. He remembers but it doesn't take up every moment of his life.
There are so many who have decided to keep looking back. They are frozen in a time which clouds every decision, word and thought. There might have been so much more enjoyment in work and fun in between. It is easier to stay frozen that moving forward. The longer the frozen the harder the thaw. Recently I read a few books that put this all in perspective. Chad Bird is one of those authors. Also, the Miss Budge series is insightful as the main character begins to thaw out and she is seeing the Lord is in those small details of life. Her hard rule living brought no joy, not even in the suffering which spiritual rule makers and followers adhere to, cause you know suffering is so spiritual, especially when one doesn't want to make any changes. I've reread some Charles Swindoll books and to a lesser extent Luci Swindoll quotes and how the both of them hate legalism. Being legalistic, you can't manage to move forward. When frozen in time, you're being held in past by words or the voice of one from the long ago who were critical and not very encouraging and your sense of ideals, that you feel unable to attain, is what impresses you, be it money or beauty or artistic talent or even the gift that God has given to someone else, but not you.
I am an applicable style teacher and while I wish I could give you four ways to achieve like Joseph or Don't Be a Mrs. Potiphar in three easy points. But I can look into these passages and apply them to whatever is facing you and however you feel like your past has been stolen from you. How fortuitous to see two Esau McCaulley quotes this morning.
That interior voice that only speaks to you only of your failures and shortcomings is not the voice of God.
Sometimes you have to tell your testimony to yourself to remind yourself of how far God has brought you.
Joseph is the first mention in the Old Testament of "the Lord was with him." We don't know if Joseph had a wrestle with an angel experience or a Hagar experience of the God who sees me, but he knew the Lord. He knew the Lord was with him.
Finally, a story that has it all...lots of Bible stories have it all but this particular one emphasizes clothes. Favored son coat, a cloak is all you get Mrs. P, orange is the new black prison clothes, the prison release change of clothes and finest linen, from Pharoah but not Eileen Fisher or J Jill. I remember something Peggy, Gertrude, said to me a long time ago. We were doing a Mildred and Gertrude thing for Jersey Village Baptist and we had a set phrase to interrupt the meeting and start our performance. The lady accidentally said the phrase and I came in making my way to the front, but I noticed her panicked face and knew it wasn't the cue...so I just sat down at one of the tables and said to them, uh we need to be paying attention to ________. Quit looking at me I am sure you've seen a beautiful woman before. Afterwards, Peggy said to me, isn't it fun what you can get away with saying while wearing a costume. She was and still is right. I don't think Joseph's clothes were costumes but it is tempting to think about after reading an article about the Imagery of Clothes in these passages.
Yep, fancy coats and ultimately man about Egypt. Joseph's story is just beginning and it is multi layered.
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